The Dinner
by Lady Dudley
Summary: Companion piece to "The Lunch" - Michael may have a *slight* double standard when it comes to his children...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: After writing "The Lunch" this idea wouldn't leave me alone :P Hope you enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**_The Dinner_**

"What are you doing?"

Michael looked up guiltily from where he was examining his dress uniform.

"…Nothing," he suggested, rather than stated.

Jackie raised an eyebrow as she entered the room and put down the basket of washing she was carrying. "Why do you need your uniform?"

"No particular reason."

Jackie crossed her arms and waited, Michael gave a defeated sigh.

"I was going to wear it tonight," he confessed.

"Tonight, as in when Nerys brings home her boyfriend for dinner?" Jackie clarified.

"Yes."

"Why on earth would you do that?" she demanded.

"Because she's my little girl," he replied simply.

Jackie bit back a laugh, "Michael, don't you think that's going a tad overboard? You weren't like this when Jimmy brought Amber around."

"That was different."

"How?"

"Jimmy's my son, not my daughter."

"Michael, that's incredibly sexist and _absolutely_ ridiculous," Jackie admonished him.

"It is not," Michael protested.

"Michael, if you put that uniform on and scare off her boyfriend not only will Nerys never forgive you but she will think you don't trust her," she told him, turning away to start folding the washing.

"I _do_ trust her, it's seventeen year old boys I don't trust," he replied defensively.

"You're still not wearing that uniform," Jackie told him absently.

Michael considered the likelihood of his winning the debate and begrudgingly put his uniform away.

"Good boy," Jackie said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. She laughed at his sulky expression, "It will be fine, Michael, I promise."

"I still don't like it," he grumbled.

Jackie laughed again, "No one's asking you to like it, just to behave."

Michael pulled a face at her back as she left the room to put away the now folded washing.

Several hours later Michael had to concede that Jackie had been right: the evening _had_ gone well, despite his misgivings.

Ryan was a polite, well-spoken young man who seemed to treat Nerys with the respect she deserved. Even though Michael was certain no man would ever be good enough for any of his three daughters, Ryan came closer to being that man than Michael had been expecting.

He liked him and he definitely had not been expecting _that_.

He frowned at Jackie's smug expression after Ryan had left for the evening and was about to make a comment when Nerys caught him off guard with a tight hug.

"Thank you, Daddy," she whispered.

"For what?" he asked as they broke apart.

"For not being _too_ overbearing and overprotective," she said, kissing his cheek and disappearing upstairs.

"Did I meet with your approval as well?" Michael asked, turning back to face Jackie.

"Yes you did, although you didn't _have_ to explain to him that you could utilise the entire Mary Hill CID to hunt down anyone who hurt your family," she said with a smile.

Michael grinned, "Did I really say that?"

Jackie tried to hide her amusement, "Yes, you did."

Michael's grin turned devilish, "It was only fair to warn him."

Jackie shook her head, "You're impossible."


	2. Epilogue

The next day Michael walked into his office to find Stuart and Robbie waiting for him.

"Well?" Robbie demanded.

"Well what?"

"How did the dinner go?" Stuart asked.

"Fine, Ryan seemed very nice."

Robbie narrowed his eyes, "Just 'seemed'? Do we need to run a background check to be sure?"

"Robbie, he's seventeen," Michael reminded him.

"Exactly," Robbie retorted.

"It's fine really," Michael assured them.

Robbie's regarded him, "You've already run one, haven't you?" he asked suspiciously.

"The moment I found out his name," Michael replied smoothly, sitting down at his desk.

"And?" Stuart pressed.

"He's clean."

Robbie and Stuart looked almost disappointed, "Oh."

Both detectives turned to leave, but Michael called them back: "If Jackie asks, no background checks were run – got it?"

They both nodded, "Mike, we're not that stupid," Robbie assured him.

"I like my life," Stuart added.

Michael smiled to himself as he watched the two detectives leave, touched by how much they cared about his daughter and amused by how all three of them lived in fear of what Jackie would do should she ever find out about their checking up on Nerys' date.


End file.
